minamimusings

I'm not much for reality shows, but the Top Model series is one of my guilty pleasures. I don't watch them religiously, but I do tune in when I manage to catch an episode on cable. Then last year, they started Asia's Next Top Model, which pits girls from each Asian country against each other. Naturally, and you should be aware of this if you're Filipino, nothing gets that whole "Pinoy Pride" blood pumping than an international competition with a Filipino finalist. What made me more intrigued was the said finalist also happens to be from Bacolod, my family's province. Plus, I'm a curious frustrated fashion wannabe (I mean, I wish, but it was one of those never-ever-insertTaylorSwiftSong-meant-to-be things). So you can see how this all contributes to make me turn on the TV every Sunday night when I normally wouldn't, and risk waking up my son. My favorite is actually Kate Ma of Taiwan. I love that she's so crazy. That is, until

In the first few months after Munch was born, I must have burned terabytes searching for, clicking on, and reading post upon article upon post on the world wide web with information on how to better care for your firstborn.  This included looking for shopping lists for baby gear. I don't like spending unnecessarily, and baby stuff costs so much, which is why I tried to do my research before actually going out and buying anything. So this post is about what I have found to be invaluable, which purchases I'd gladly repeat if I were to do it over again, and which ones I wish I could have refunded. This is all based on my experience and all my point of view. Crib vs. Playpen. My siblings and I grew up owning, sleeping and eventually playing in one of those sturdy wooden cribs in the 80s. Naturally, it was top of mind when I got pregnant, and it was a foregone conclusion in the beginning that I would get a crib. I did look at some playpens before making my decision, and the ch